Archive for March, 2014

After deciding to add a scope to my AR, I had to get it zeroed in and see how it worked. With the local ranges being closed until May and living in an urban area, I had to find another place to go shooting. My dad’s was the only logical choice. His backyard is where I did all my shooting when I started this blog and its the place that inspired the name as well.

I took my AR, my SKS, and my SR22, as well as enough ammo to last all evening. The weather stayed decent most of the time and the only time it caused a problem was when the wind blew the target around. We ended up shooting for an hour or two and managed to get the AR zeroed in as I had hoped.

I set up my AR using the CMMG 22lr conversion kit so that I could get the scope sighted in relatively close before making more adjustments with the more expensive .223 ammo. It worked pretty well and everything was going pretty good for a while. Unfortunately at some point my Millet Tactical scope mount came loose and we spent several minutes and a dozen or so rounds before realizing it. We then had to undo all the changes we made and it was a mess. It took about 40 rounds to get it set up because of that mount not being tight.

When we finally got it close I switched over to the .223 and zeroed it in a little closer. I had assumed that at 50 yards 22lr and .223 would have hit the target closer together but they were about 1.5″ apart. The .223 was hitting that much higher. I spent about half an hour going back and forth between 22lr and .223 to find a decent middle ground so the scope will be close for both of them. I’ve got it set up now so that at 50 yards the 22lr is about 1/2″ low and the .223 is about 1″ high. For now that’s good enough but once the other ranges open up and I can shoot out to 100 yards or more I’ll probably focus more on just the .223 zero. I’ll probably zero the iron sights for the 22lr at a range of like 40-50 yards or so.

The highlight of the day though was shooting the SKS. It always is. For a gun with no attachments and few tactical applications, the “peasant rifle” is always a blast to shoot. Everything about the gun is perfect to me. While I would love to have a scope on it, its incredibly accurate using just the iron sights. My dad, his friend, and myself, all shot the rifle from a resting position and we were hitting pretty close to center. My first two shots were just a hair below the bullseye and all our following shots were equally spaced along the outside of the center area. If it had been a 6″ plate we would have hit all around the edges and everywhere in between. I took a picture after the first few shots but after that we let loose with it. I think with a good bit of practice I could be deadly with it even out to 100 yards.

Overall we had a good time. My guns are still shooting good and my skills have only deteriorated slightly. I look forward to many more trips to the range like this.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it here before but if not I’ll say it again: I have a lot of hobbies. I like to shoot guns, take pictures, draw, read, play video games, and cook. I also like to sew. I’ve only completed a few sewing projects but its fun and relaxing every time. I definitely think sewing could be a survival skill and no man should feel too embarrassed to try to learn.

I decided to use my manly sewing skills to make a stock pouch for my SKS. Here’s a look at the completed piece after I managed to get it secured in place:

It wasn’t easy that’s for sure. It took a few hours and I had to start over from scratch more than once. The measurements were the hardest part to get right since the stock of the rifle features curves and angles. Even after I got it finished I struggled to get it to stay in place. The weight of a 10 round stripper clip was too much for it at first and I had to adjust the button locations to make it tighter.

I’m happy with the end result. It does what I needed it to do and looks pretty good (Ignoring the poor edge/seam work) at the same time. As it stands though there is no “lid” to the pouch so holding the gun at the wrong angle will cause the contents of the pouch to spill out. I might add one to it but most likely I’ll just use this pouch as a model for an improved version in the future. Maybe I can use some thicker, softer material so I get a nice cheek rest as well.

Just because you can buy something pretty cheap doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to make it yourself. I had all the material for this already in the house but even if I had needed to buy everything it would’ve cost less than $5. My only investment was my time.

What do you think? How did I do? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? On a related note, have you made something similar for your weapons or survival gear? Let me know in the comments!

I was talking to a friend the other day about whether or not I should sell my AR. He was against the idea and told me if I wasn’t enjoying shooting it anymore that maybe I should change it up a little. He suggested I reconfigure it with different attachments or come up with some challenges to make it more interesting. I agreed to give that a shot before giving up on ol’ Frankenstein.

The next day a co-worker asked me if I knew anyone who would be interested in a rifle scope or two. He was going through the attic at his dad’s and they came across 3 brand new Tasco scopes from 1984. The good Tascos that were made in Japan and not the more inexpensive ones they sell now. His dad was, and still is, addicted to auctions and estate sales, so they’re always coming across stuff they can’t remember buying. I said I might be interested and he offered to let me try one out for a while and then we could discuss a price if I decided to keep it.

He brought it to me today and right after work I went home and immediately began the changeover. I had assumed the rings from my red dot scope would work on the Tasco scope, but I was wrong; they were way too big. I ran back to town real quick and bought a scope mount made by Millet Tactical. It was way more expensive than just some basic rings but it definitely looks like its built better and is more reliable.

The scope went on really easy and its all set up. Now I just need some good weather and a place to do some distance shooting (the outdoor ranges in my area are closed until May). I’m not 100% sure I like the way it looks but that might just be because I’m not good with change. I’ve had that red dot sight on the rifle for a while now and I had really grown fond of it. Now, to me at least, Frankenstein looks like the monster it was named after.

What do you think? Does it look good? Should I get a different mount? Paint the mount? Paint the scope? Let me know in the comments below because I really need some outside input on this.

P.S. – The Mini-14 is now rocking the red dot and looking oh so sexy. I do think it will be staying that way for now. Besides making it looks more appealing it’ll almost certainly improve my accuracy. I think the Mini-14 would look much better with a long scope than the AR, the trick is just finding a good way to mount it without having to modify the rifle.

It’s been a while since I posted so I figured it was time to bring up something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I’m the kind of person who gets very attached to his things. I love my material possessions, and while I know I could live without most of them, if I have the choice, I will continue to live with them. That said, I’ve run in to a problem that I need some suggestions on.

I’m thinking of selling my AR-15. I love the thing like its a member of my family, but I hate shooting it with .223/5.56. Its too loud and it kicks more than I would like. Its just too light and the noise drives me (and everyone around me at the range) insane. Shooting it with the .22lr conversion kit is a dream, but with the money my AR would bring I could buy an AR dedicated to 22lr and still have lots of money left.

Besides, the SKS I got from my friend has quickly become my favorite rifle. The thing is incredible to shoot. Smooth trigger pull, no kick, and really quiet. So maybe I’ve just spoiled myself too much to enjoy the AR lately. That said, there are lots of firearms out there that I would love to own, but its hard to buy guns without money. I could probably turn the AR into 2 other guns and some ammo, but should I? Could I?

How do you lose your attachment to a firearm which you’ve built with your own two hands? How do you give up such a thing without it leaving a deep pain? The money certainly helps the healing, but there’s something to be said for having that emotional connection. And once its gone, its gone for good.

Give me some advice. Let me know what to do. Keep it and accept that I’ll not be buying another gun for a few years, or sell it, mourn its loss, and buy something different?